Private brand pasta producer acquires leading foodservice pasta producer

Philadelphia Macaroni, a producer of dry and frozen pasta for private brands, the industrial ingredient segment and co-pack channels, has acquired A. Zerega’s Sons, essentially doubling the company’s production and packaging capacity to more than 700 million pounds annually.

Zerega, a leader in dry pasta for foodservice, industrial ingredients and retail, becomes a wholly owned subsidiary of Philadelphia Macaroni. Ed Iron, president and CEO of Philadelphia Macaroni said the acquisition makes the company the largest privately owned pasta manufacturer in the United States. 

“Zerega’s wide variety of pasta offerings further enhances Philadelphia Macaroni’s product portfolio and provides an immediate, meaningful presence in the foodservice channel,” he said. “We believe the combination of these two well-respected pasta companies will provide expanded opportunities for both our customers and employee team members.” 

The companies are family-owned businesses. Philadelphia Macaroni acquires Zerega’s manufacturing and distribution facilities in Fair Lawn, N.J., and Lee’s Summit, Mo.

Through its four pasta factories located in Pennsylvania, North Dakota, and Washington, Philadelphia Macaroni produces and distributes pasta internationally.

“The combination of two great family businesses allows us to advance our diversification strategy and compete against larger players in the critical foodservice category with the required competitive scale,” said Luke Marano, Jr., Philadelphia Macaroni executive chairman. “Our great-grandfathers who founded our companies were innovators and entrepreneurs.” The company said Antoine Zerega, who is credited with building the nation’s first pasta plant in Brooklyn, N.Y., in 1848, and Antonio Marano, who formed Philadelphia Macaroni in 1914 in the Italian market neighborhood of Philadelphia.